I remember a guy asking advice on the internet. He had been in a bad car crash, probably his fault. The prosecutor kept calling to ask how he was doing. Odd thing for a prosecutor to do. Lawyers explained, the prosecutor wanted to file charges. The man would be a cheaper prisoner if he didn't need medical care. The prosecutor was waiting until he healed before charging him. Statute of limitations for a serious traffic offense is normally at least a year.

"Lt. Steve Alexander, sheriff's spokesman, said the sheriff's office asked a Multnomah County judge to vacate the rest of Baca's sentence for interfering with public transport and release her early so her family and friends could have unrestricted access to visit her in the hospital."

reportedly choked on coffee and passed out behind the wheel of his big-rig

I'm curious about the mechanics of this...

Well not being able to breath tends to cause people to pass out.

I can think of two ways. The first being that his couldn't get enough air because his body was spending too much time try to expel the coffee there wasn't enough inhalation going on, it wouldn't take much if he was a smoker or had asthma.

The other one being laryngospasm, it when the vocal cords lock up to prevent liquid from entering the lungs, this is a great reflex to have, but can sometimes get stuck, it the reason why some drowning victims have little or no water in their lungs.

Depends on the size of the company. If it's easy enough to do, they'll liquidate and transfer funds out, file for bankrupcty, and then use those funds to start up an identical company with a different name.

Happens all the time. The trucking company that hit my mother-in-law and put her in a wheelchair and on permanent disability also did it. She's never seen a dime from the company, because they filed for bankruptcy.

"Lt. Steve Alexander, sheriff's spokesman, said the sheriff's office asked a Multnomah County judge to vacate the rest of Baca's sentence for interfering with public transport and release her early so her family and friends could have unrestricted access to visit her in the hospital."

rkiller1:thisisyourbrainonFark: You'll never guess what she was in for ... wait for it ...

From the Oregonian:

"Lt. Steve Alexander, sheriff's spokesman, said the sheriff's office asked a Multnomah County judge to vacate the rest of Baca's sentence for interfering with public transport and release her early so her family and friends could have unrestricted access to visit her in the hospital."

This. I actually had this happen to me a couple of weeks ago, and it scared the shiat out of me. In late December, I had UPPP surgery (tonsils, adenoids, uvula, and part of soft palate removed). A result of that is that it is a little easier for liquids to make their way into my throat (specifically warm beverages like coffee and tea). The day this happened, I was in my pickup driving through the parking lot to leave work, and was chewing on a tootsie roll. The extra saliva in my mouth slipped down my throat, and BAM, I couldn't breathe. I was literally loudly gasping for air and could barely inhale. I stopped my truck and just kept gasping and gasping - it probably only lasted 30 seconds, but I started getting light headed and scared - then suddenly I could breathe again.

Based on my experience, it is not at all a stretch for me to believe his story.